The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-13
Interesting RecOllectiOns of
Washington.

The Retrospections of America"
written by John Bernard, an English
actor, who resided in this country from
1897 to 1919, have recently been pub
lished in England by descendant. He
thus describes how he met George
Washington, the encounter being
marked by peculiar good fortune in its
circumstances, so that in Bernard's mar
rative one sees the real man instead of
the personification of dignified pro-
priety that so long stood for Washing
ton. Mr.. Bernard was returning from
visit to friends on the banks of the
Potomac, when, riding slowly along, he
saw coming toward him an old-fash-
toned chaise. The driver was vainly
trying to hasten his Indifferent beast,
when suddenly, after a sharp lash from
the drivers whip, the horse gave
jump, reared on its hind legs, and
swerving to one side overturned the
coach and flung out young woman,
its only occupant beside the driver.
Just then another horseman came up.
The two dismounted, and while the new
conner supported the insensible young
woman Bernard fetched water in his
hat from spring near by. The woman
was soon restored and found unhurt,
and the two horsemen helped the trav-
elers to right themselves, but in order
to do so they were obliged to unload
the coach of vast amount of luggage,
and then with great eXertions pull the
heavy vehicle into an upright position.
The load was soon replaced and the
conveyance started on its way. Then
the two men in turn helped each other
brush up. Mr.. Bernard soon felt sure
that he had seen the stranger, but
couldn't remember when or where.
But the other suddenly stepped for
ward and, in a very cordial manner,
called Mr. Bernard by name, put out
his hand, and said he had seen him act
few months previous and had heard
much of him from several of his
friends, especially from Charles Car
roll. He then invited the actor to rest
at his house few hours, after the la
borious task they had shared-for it
was hot July day. He pointed to a
house which he said was not a mile
distant and would be a short ride.
Mr.. Bernard was astounded to per-
ceive that his companion was point
ing out Mount Vernon, which he had
spent two hours looking at the day
before. And this, then, was Washing
ton He accompanied the great man
home. Mrs. Washington was indis-
posed, but the general ordered refresh
ments in the parlor. The writer gives
his impressions of Washington, as fol-
lows: Whether you surveyed his face,
open yet well-defined, dignified but not
arrogant, thoughtful but benign; his
frame, towering and muscular, but alert
from its good proportions-every fea-
ture suggested a resemblance to the
spirit it encased, and showed simplicity
in alliance with the sublime. The i'm
preston, therefore, was that of a most
perfect whole; and though the effect of
proportion is said to be to reduce the
idea of magnitude, you could not but
think you looked upon wonder, and
something sacred as well as wonder
ful-a man fashioned, by the hand of
heaven, with every requisite to achieve
great work. Thus a feeling of awe
and veneration stole over you. In con-
versation, his face had not much variety
of expression; a look of thoughtfulness
was given by the compression of the
mouth and the indentation of the brow
(suggesting an habitual conflict with,
and mastery over, passiom which did
not seem so much to disdain sympa-
thy with trivialities as to be incapable
of denoting them. Nor had his voice,
so far as | could discover in our quiet
talk, much change, or richness of into
nation, but he always spoke with ear
hic /orln
tors of the light within) burned with a
steady fire which no one could mistake
for mere affability; they were one
grand expression of the well-known
line, " am man, and interested in
all that concerns humanity" In our
hour and a half's conversation he
touched on every topic that / brought
before him with an even current of
good sense, if he embellished it with
little wit or verbal elegance. He spoke
like man who had felt as much as he
had reflected, and reflected more than
he had spoken; like one who had looked
upon society rather in the mass than in
detail and DhO regarded the happiness
Of America but as the first link in q
series Of universal uictOries for his full
faith in the power of those results
of civil liberty which he saw all
around him led him to foresee that
it would, ere long, prevail in other
countries, and that the social millen-
mum of Europe would usher in the po-
litcal. When l mentioned to him the
difference ] perceived between the in
habitants of New England and the
Southern States, he remarked: " / es-
TEEN those people greatly; they are the
Stamano Of The Union and its greatest
bengactors. They are continually